The Path Taken
by sweetsnow73
Summary: Human AU. Sofiya thinks her life is going pretty well and had is all planned out, kind of, but her life has just started. Think of it as a story that follows the romance and life of Sofiya and Berwald. Pairs: SweUkr, AmeBela (Background pairs: FinBelg, NorFem!Scot, NethDen) See inside and each chapter for end chapter notes. I'm uploading what I have done then will update from there
1. Chapter 1

When it came to life Sofiya thought she had a nice one.

She grew up on a small farm with her siblings. It was a sheltered but loving childhood. She knew she was lucky. She counted her blessings where she could, even if she did have to leave her home for work. Like her siblings, scattered around the world, so they could make enough money for their grandfather to receive the best care they could give him. He was old when their parents died and they had to go live with him. So they wanted only the best they could give for him.

She had a busy job in Stockholm, on her vacations she visited her sister. Her sister had married a military man, they had a habit of moving around but he was currently stationed in Norway, the proximity making their visits very fortuitous. When she visits she stays busy as "Aunt Sofie", to her baby nephew Roger.

Her brother was still looking, mostly finding good friends, which Sofiya thinks is just as good as finding a lover. She worries about him from time to time, she doesn't want him to get lonely but she gets letters from him and he seems busy between work and his friends. So she doesn't have to worry too much about her siblings, at least not more so then a protective older sister should. She has fond memories of a busy house, full of the sound of loud children. She hopes that some day she can have that again. But it's a vague sort of thing, a unfinished desire. She stays busy with her job, she doesn't think much about love. She's unaware of any potential suitors, her work hard nature makes her oblivious to that sort of thing. Her work, is her life and she smiles and nods at her sisters warnings of ending up very old with no children to visit and no love in her life. For Sofiya, this was enough in life. She wasn't looking.

But it is as the old saying goes. Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.

...

Her job included a number of activities. Copy editing records, typing up files, answering phones, she did a bit of leg work for generating buzz about the bakery. She was a catch all for all the paper work for the shop, and she was paid a fair price for her long hours. She also set the accounts for bulk purchases, for catering jobs. She was typing up the next bulk letter to go out to investors when a knock sounded out from her door frame. The door itself was open but the courtesy knock got her attention and she finished the word she was in the middle of and smiled up at the tall stranger in her door way.

Her office was in the back, and the people that needed to talk to her are sent to see her. She knew he was there for business.

"Hej då"

His voice was deep and she didn't reply right away. She felt the first meetings were always the most awkward because of her accent.

"Come in please. How may I help you?"

He blinks a few times and has a small smile on his face. Too polite to ask about the accent but he's noticed.

"If you're back here you must be here to order something." She takes out a form form under a pile and twirls a pen in her hand and they walk. It's the polite talk of the culture she's found herself in but she fills the forum for his order. For his son, Johan, a cake with a Snow White theme, she doesn't blink at this anymore because families here wouldn't, for the most part, say something like a fairy tale is for a girl. Back home that sort of thing would get comments. It's one of the things she likes about this country.

There is a drawing, he'd like replicated. Normally this type of cake would be done at home, but she assumes that he won't have time to make it. That happens sometimes. She fills it in, takes the drawing and sets in with a paper clip and they say good bye.

But it was not the last time she saw him.

...

She is there when he picks up the cake. She's approaching the front and needs signatures on some paper work. She hears his voice, the deep voice she'd know anywhere. The store owner and him exchange words and as he's leaving he waves to her.

For some reason this makes her stomach do a flip, she's wondering if she blushing as her boss signs the paper work.

Life goes on as it did before, she remembers him. Of all the clients and customers she remembers him, randomly throughout the next few weeks. He comes back and orders again, this time for his office, something full of cinnamon and chewy. She smiles and says that his office is lucky to have such a considerate man working there.

It was maybe her imagination but he seemed to redden at the compliment.

That's how things go. He would disappear for a few weeks and come back with another order.

One day he turns to leave with the box, she handed it to him herself and he stops. He fidgets and turns back to her.

"Ms..."

She's not sure what to expect but she tries to encourage him to keep going, he's not a man of many words. This much she knows from their time together.

"Please, you may call me Sofiya."

He has a tiny smile.

"Sofiya..." He shifts his weight from one hip to the other and seems to be thinking.

"Would you join me for fika?"

She's confused for a moment trying to remember what that is. She works so much she's not usually up to snuff on conventions.

Then she remembers and smiles at him.

"I would love to."

...

It would take a few dates before Berwald suggests to her that she should met Johan. It was a caution of his not to introduce every potential lover to his son. She was introduced to his son as a friend in the beginning. He was still worried something might happen between them and didn't want the youth to be wondering where she had gone. She thought that responsible. For it wasn't just Berwald's life that she was entering. She didn't take it as a insult, because she knew that life, indeed, had a way of changing plans on you.

"Johan."

"Vad?"

She stands next to Berwald in his living room. The boy comes out of his room and he looks her up and down. Johan is an eleven year old boy with red hair and his fathers eyes. His hair must have taken from his mother, a woman whom had passed away when Johan was a infant. She hadn't asked of what. That was something Berwald wasn't ready to talk about yet. She's taking in him as much as he's taking her in. She's trying to tell the most from what she can see of him. She notices that his shirt had apples on it. Some sort of gingham theme. She remembers the first cake that Berwald came in for. The Snow White theme. The most popular fairy tale with an apple in it. What he learns about her, from her clothing, she's not sure.

She bends down to look at him better in the face.

"Johan?"

He's silent but nods. She smiles.

"It's so nice to met you. I am Sofiya. Please call me that."

His eyes narrow and he seems to want to say something.

The first meeting, she would say, went well.

She learns that he is always seeming like he wants to say something or rather, he does around her. Then one day he scoffs at her ignorance of the DVR and she can only shyly ask him for help. The resulting ramble about the system is the most she's ever seen him talk. His eyes begin to sparkle. Just like his fathers. He speaks, dominantly in Swedish, something that surprises her but her years working have given her a passable understanding. It could be blamed on his less than perfect grasp on English or his general laziness, always seeking the path of least resistance. She's noticed his laziness is actually a form of efficiency, he has a innate ability to simplify complex ideas or things. She leaves that day with a understanding of the DVR she never had before.

He seems to not mind her around. He hasn't been the most forward, but she can get him to explain something, he opens up. He becomes almost boisterous at the chance to explain something to others. He listens well. He's always looking around him and observing people and things. He catches her watching him a few times.

He gets shy when that happens.

...

Sofiya types on her computer and sends e-mails back to her sister and brother. Her brother has always been less frequent with his replies but he seems to be more excited than Natalia about Berwald and Johan.

"I worry sestra. You being all alone and I don't want that but I do not want you to pick the wrong man. But this man, if he makes you happy then I am happy too." Sofiya smiles at her computer screen.

Natalia is more urgent. But Sofiya can tell it's a need for review, observation. She feels the need to approve of Berwald. As children they had always been very close and important to each other. Sofiya would be lying if she hadn't thoroughly observed Alfred before giving her blessings. She types a reply and they keep talking into the night and reach a stalemate. The meeting would be delayed for a bit yet.

She closes the lid of her laptop and clicks off the light. Going to bed for the evening.

Life was very good for Sofia. She appreciated it.

* * *

**Additional notes: **

This is a Human AU. In the additional notes section I will include extra bits of information that didn't fit in the story.

_Ukraine, Belarus, Russia:_

These three are biological siblings. Their parents died in a car accident but don't expect them to say that, it's always 'passed away' or something equally peaceful sounding. Their grandfather is a allegory for General Winter also called Grandfather Frost in more traditional texts. It will be alluded to better later but they lived on a wheat farm in Ukraine. Since their grandfather's condition has deteriorated and they've moved out the farm now belongs to someone else entirely. Ukraine is canonly the oldest of the siblings, in this AU the three would share a variation of Ukraine's last name.

_Grandfather:_

He's being medically taken care of, Ukraine and Russia send part of their earnings to help take care of him and Belarus sends him supplies such as shirts and what allowances the government allows her to send to him. He has some of the best care that Ukraine has to offer.

_Russia:_

Ivan

Mineral analyst, single. He works around the world monitoring various environmental factors for whoever wants him to. His hours are surprisingly long and he will sometimes be unreachable. He makes friends, however. His dwellings can vary by assignment.

_Ukraine:_

Sofiya

Works as the paper work catch all in a bakery in Stockholm. Lives by herself in a small, city apartment.

The name is borrowed from largetracksofland . tumblr . com the two of us share a lot of headcanons but this Sofiya isn't exclusively based on her Rping, but the name is her's and I'd feel remiss to not mention this fact.

_Belarus and America, Roger:_

Roger D. Jones is a character created by bluestorm369 . deviantart . com He is the son of Natalia and Alfred.

Alfred is a military man, he spends most days working on machinery and computers at the army base. Natalia is a stay at home mom, and has a variety of hobbies such as embroidery and clothing making. They live in army housing off base.

_Sweden and Ladonia:_

Berwald and Johan

Berwald is a single father, the mother of his son died. Johan loves apples. His favorite game is Pokemon but he is quite the wiz with a variety of electronics. Berwald works...somewhere and is often the one dragged into doing things like ordering snacks, I haven't worked out where he works (I've been able to avoid it throughout this chapter and much of the story actually). Some vaguely office type of situation as a middle level go-to-man. Not where he wants to be in life but they treat him well and he is loyal to the company. He paints greeting cards in his free time, his creative outlet. They live in a two room city apartment, however it is crowded with the pure amount of stuff everywhere. Organized stuff, but still a lot of stuff. For much of their characterizations I've used headcanons and some canon things.

And I think that's all the notes for now. The background pairings won't really come up too much, in a later chapter they are all together in one location so if you were kind of iffy on any of them from the summery you don't have to worry too much and if you were very excited you have a little something to look forward to.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm not calling her mom."

She didn't mean to over hear this. She was coming around the corner when she did. At first she didn't realize what exactly was said, Johan's English had become better in their time together, she had been helping him and he had his own accent that sometimes threw her off. It was thicker than his fathers. Once she realized what she heard from Johan's mouth she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and ducked back around the corner she had came around.

They had decided to met in a near by park for lunch. She had originally planned on being late, once she had seen the the pile of work on her desk and the due date for it all. She called him to tell him this and he said they'd wait. Turns out a number of the forums were doubles and didn't need editing because they were supposed to have been filed. This was a mess from her replacement from the time she was on vacation. She was able to breeze through most of her work from there. She had wanted to surprise them, running to met them.

She listens closely, not sure what to do.

"You don't have 'ta."

"Alrigh' then. I don' mind if you marry her."

She knew Johan was still very attached to his birth mother, so this didn't surprise her. Her sister had asked her if, should things go well, how the youth would refer to her. Sofiya, had at the time brushed the question off, she is happy that the boy calls her anything at all. She wouldn't make him call her, mother. She gulps. She's not sure that's a title she could handle but more so his mom still had a big place in his heart and she respected that.

She's not sure why they were talking about, the obvious reason was because Berwald was going to purpose to her. She tried not to jump to conclusions, maybe it was a conversation that had been brought up by something Johan had seen, she isn't sure. She tells herself to calm down. True they had been dating, though Berwald would be hesitant to call it that, for a while now. There was no rush. She hadn't thought she'd mentioned anything about marriage lately.

She frowns and realizes she was over thinking this. She didn't want to just walk in on them like this, however. She goes back down the block, and takes out her phone to call Berwald. His deep voice answers and she's blushing.

"There was less work then there actually was. I will be there soon, about a block away." They hang up and she comes around the corner with a smile. Johan smirks but he's almost smiling.

...

To her surprise the question of marriage doesn't come up for a while, in fact she forgets about the incident at the park all together until she sees the ring. Between the park and the moment she sees the ring, she's been busy at work and their dates. She can't remember much right now as she sits on the couch and he holds her hand and the ring with his other hand.

She's staring at the ring. She isn't sure what to think of it until she see the wheat pattern on the band. In all of the world he found a wheat ring. She starts to cry with a big smile on her face. She feels so blessed in the moment. For she found a man that would remember what kind farm she grew up on. She found a man that would remember the hours of conversation and the tiny details she mindlessly slipped in. She found her perfect man.

She's crying, and shaking her head and he's lightly holding her face and rubbing away her tears and she can almost swear he's got some tears of his own. She can't speak very well.

From somewhere in the other room they hear, "About time!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Sestra that is such good news!" Her younger sister is on the phone with her. In the background she can hear a television or radio turned down low. Roger, she guesses, must be taking a nap between bouts of running around. The boy being a ball of energy and crashes easily from all that running around.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Sofia looks down at the ring on her finger and thinks of her sisters ring.

"Your ring, sister, it's very pretty..." she tries to find a way to ask about the unique ring. Truth be told her sister is fairly private and never explained about it. The ring had a center stone surrounded by points, Sofiya wasn't sure what it meant but the shape seemed very deliberate.

"Yes?"

"It looks like a flower, it's so pretty!" She hoped that complementing it would get her sister to explain.

Her sister laughs.

"I suppose it does. In truth its a star." her sister pauses and is probably listening to the house, to listen for Roger. "You see, Alfred once wished on a shooting star. He said that I was his wish coming true so I should carry that star, that brought us together, with me. "

Sofiya is speechless for a moment. She knew a bit about Alfred's romantic tendencies, her sister tells her about some of them. The breakfasts in bed, the date nights and slow dances. She almost felt her teeth ache with the sweetness that came from Alfred. She was suddenly so thankful that her sister found such a kind soul, to help her feel such love.

"I wish you could come visit soon! I want to see it."

"A picture is just as good."

"Not the same, you need to see them in person."

"I hope we can make it over soon. I have vacation time coming up."

"Yes, good. We can talk about your marriage and I can meet this man that is taking you away from us."

Sofiya nervously laughed. Remembering how she had kept putting off the meeting.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"...Trust me..." the tone is so sad Sofiya wants to ask if something is wrong.

"When you find that person, it's hard to not make them your whole world."

She doesn't know what to say about that, it would be easy to say that they'd always be close or that nothing could come between them. But it is hard to stay close. If anyone could do it, it's her.

"But this is your big sister you are talking about."

"Ah, yes. I forgot, you can do it all!" A inside joke and the seriousness passes from the conversation. They both have a small laugh. Growing up she had done it all, or near enough. Their grandfather couldn't take care of two youngsters all on his own and Sofiya had risen to the challenge, helping out with the two of them and the farm. She had become a sort of mother to them.

Not to forget the good in her youth, no, those things were enough to fill the ocean, but here and there, she wishes she could change things. Mistakes and missed moments because of her responsibilities. She's spent her life living up to responsibilities, she's just now realizing it. She has a sad smile.

Such is life.

She ends the conversation with her sister, one last promise to meet up before the big day. She lays her elbows on the table and thinks about the past a bit more, about those missed things. The things she'd given up and she thinks that it's okay. Because she is who she is today because of those things. She has a whole life ahead to do those things that she couldn't before.

The door to the apartment opens and Johan walks in, followed by her fiance.

She almost hits her face with her own hand.

Fiance.

A word she had time to get used to but maybe not enough.

...

In truth they have a lot of time. Neither can consolidate their households right now but have to wait a few months for the time to open up. Date nights on Thursdays and family nights Fridays in the mean time.

During her breaks, instead of working right though, she researches and sends e-mails.

Life was about to begin a large new chapter and she hopes it goes well as the previous chapters. She's nervous when she can't DO something, actively toward her goal. So she GOOGLEs and takes notes and plans things the best she can. She taps her foot nervously when she's thinking about everything and about work.

Johan is still distant but perhaps closer than he was before. They have slipped into each others lives very well, he asks her for help on things now, instead of only coming to her when he has no choice. They watch movies together and he speaks to her about his day as school. She's thankful for each moment with him.

It's not born of a need to make sure Johan is a happy accessory to Berwald, but because she wants him to be happy. As she wanted her siblings to be happy. She'd give up much for Johan, something she realizes when she leaves work early one day to walk him home. Her responsibilities have shifted to include him, as a individual. She takes her responsibilities seriously, above her own needs. She wonders if he's noticed and if he does, what he thinks about it. When she kisses his head as he walks to his room, he doesn't make a grimace but rather, attempts to smile. He wishes her a good night and she fights back happy tears.

...

The actual wedding is attended by a few souls. They have a meet and greet the day before at a restaurant so they can meet each other. Sofiya is nervous, but not as much as Berwald is. Johan is excited to see all the people he can show off to. Sofiya and Berwald hold hands under the table as they greet each person.

Natalia, Alfred and Roger are first to show up. Alfred hands her a big sparkly box, he talks about a tradition of some sort for a wedding shower or some such thing. Sofiya kept her party and ceremony as simple as possible, she remembers reading something about it but recalls feeling it wasn't necessary. She thanks him for the gift. Johan asks if he can open the box and they let him. It's a crystal glass wine set and Sofiya tries to calculate how expensive it must be but can't. She gently takes it from Johan and he goes to play with Roger.

Matthais, the older brother to Berwald came in with a laugh that carried across the restaurant. His first action when seeing her was to pick her up in a hug. She had seen him in photographs and knew a bit about him. A furniture designer/farmer, in that order don't mix up the order, never mind that his money comes from farming. He had a boyfriend from the Netherlands and a pet rabbit that they treated like a child. Matthais goes on and on, she finds herself smiling more around him. They talk about grain production and prices. She sometimes keeps up on such things, as her farm back home was effected by such matters. She could get lost talking about that sort of thing, comparing farming technique and rate pays.

Tino, a childhood friend came with his wife, Manon. She was adorable, they both smiled a lot and she complemented the dessert selection. Sofiya thought they looked like purring, content cats with each other. They seemed to like her and Manon seemed to have a teasing relationship with Berwald and Matthais.

Sigurd, the younger brother came with his wife, Iona. Johan thought her freckles were amazing and wanted to touch them. She had a general good humor about it. Natalia and her talked about hair products for a moment, that was when Sofiya realized that they both had very long hair. Sigurd seemed to follow Iona with his eyes, enamored by her movements. Sofiya had to look away a few times. It seemed almost too intimate.

Erikur the youngest brother came alone, he would be spending his brief vacation time from his work in Sweden, he'd stay after the wedding for about two weeks. His stories were of the puffins and how human yet inhuman they were.

Looking over at everyone they seemed to be getting along really well. She squeezes Berwald's hand.

In this room where some of the most important people in their lives, but it was incomplete. Her brother, unable to get time from work and the price being too much to cover regardless, was still away in China. Her grandfather was unfit for travel.

But Alfred had volunteered to record the whole event to send back to them. She hopes it's enough, she wanted them here.

...

The next morning started out fast, the alarm went off far too early for her liking and she made sure to cover the bags under her eyes. When she got some mysterious ink on the skirt of her wedding dress she started to cry. It was about that time that Natalia came in, Roger was out with Alfred so for the next few hours, Sofiya had her sisters undivided attention.

Make up fixed, spot covered with chalk. Natalia lightly plays with Sofiya's hair, adding the small pieces of babies breath inside the curls her short hair would hold. A borrowed crown for the veil.

Sofiya looks up at her reflection and for a moment wonders whose staring back. It's her, but it's not. Natalia looks at the time and fiddles with the hem of her top, her braids maids outfit a two piece. The blue in Sofia's wedding gown matches Natalia's outfit.

Someone knocks on the door and it's their turn to go out.

It's a uneven affair, Berwald's side of the room is more full by spades. The brothers are talking to each other and once the music starts she can't hear anything but the pounding of her heart. The tiny, sparse but delicate decorations of blue bows going along the seats pass by faster then she thought they would. There is minimal decoration. Four candles sit on a table clothed table behind the officiant, it'll be a mini ceremony for them a bit later.

She had decided on this, this type of ceremony. Different then the type that she would have had at home, but she's not the same person that used to live there. So it was more fitting to try something in the middle, a more smoothly culturally gray ceremony. Natalia walks with her, partially for physical support and standing in a symbolic sense for their grandfather and brother that should be here to see little Sofiya marry away her heart. The officiant is waiting up there for her, so is her future husband. She doesn't stumble in her heels.

She's trying to breathe evenly. It's hard but she thinks she'll be okay. It's a bigger moment then she predicted. She expected to feel some version of everything she was feeling but it was all so much more, larger. She stands next to him and looks into his eyes.

And watches as he falls over.

There is a gasp from someone in the audience.

Matthais jumps up first and she's down on her knees patting his face and not knowing what to do. Tino is close behind but finds himself being a pair too many of hands and waves the official over. They are talking quickly for a few seconds.

Matthais finds a pulse in his brothers wrist and looks very confused.

"Did ye just faint?" There is a small smirk on his face, as if this is a great inside joke.

There is a snicker from Sigurd in the audience. The official looks confused. Tino talks to him again.

"I'll go get some help!" the man says as he leaves for the nearest door. Tino leans over.

Soon the small party of wedding goers are surrounding the man on the floor.

"Hey, Hey, Be okay. Please be okay?" She's holding one of his hands and rubbing the top of it.

"Hey, now. He'll be alright. He's a tough one." Matthais is rubbing her back trying to calm her down while Tino tries to lightly slap Berwald's face to wake him up.

There is a surprise splash of water thrown into the middle of them, onto Berwald's face. There are a few gasps. This at least elicits a response, a crunching of the eyebrows from Berwald.

"He's fine. He did the same thin' at my weddin'." Sigurd's nonchalant voice is oddly comforting to Sofiya, she looks down at Berwald and then looks around for Johan. He's hiding behind Manon with Roger. She's talking to them quietly, Tino soon joins her and the two are trying to keep the children calm.

Iona nudges Sigurd in the side and he rolls his eyes and takes the cup away. Berwald slowly tries to sit up.

"What happened?" He asks in a groggy voice, he's blinking to clear his vision and trying to focus on something. Matthis has moved to help Berwald sit up.

"You fainted-" Iona starts.

"Again. Can't take you anywhere." Sigurd finishes.

He's still trying to focus when a tiny hand touch his arm. Clinging to the sleeve fabric.

"Pappa?"

Johan touches his father's face and once he feels as if his father is alright he loosens his hold on the sleeve. He nods and Sofiya touches Berwald's face as well. Johan and Sofia both smile at him now, worried but relieved he's alright. There is a pause as Sofiya and Berwald look at each other.

Which seems to go on, she reaches for his hand when-

"Alright break it up, you've rented this place for two hours not three, there's a weddin' to be had."

Sigurd helps Berwald get to his feet.

"Lean on me if you have ta." It's muttered but Sofiya gets to her feet with a smile on her face. She doesn't understand all the layers that Berwald has with his brothers but she can tell that they care. She and the other guests give them room to move around and Johan's hand finds hers as they watch. Matthais and Sigurd hold him up and Erikur is tugging his clothing back into place. Natalia is by her side with a small smile on her face, her son holding her hand.

"Wow you guys really know how to throw a party!" Some people jolted and Sofiya looks to see Alfred with a camera on them. She had forgotten the whole event was being recorded. She can only imagine what her brother will say when he sees it.

The officiant comes back with a first aide book and kit. Berwald is sit on one of the chairs and is looked at to the best of the books ability. This takes a few moments while Berwald assures that he doesn't need to go to a hospital.

"Very well. Let us marry you two off then." The officiant lays the kit off to the side on a empty chair and takes his place at the front. As do Sofiya and Berwald.

Words are exchanged.

"I promise to always join you for fika..."

" I promise to always need you to do paper work."

She laughs, no one really gets what's the joke and why they both have tears in their eyes.

When it's time for the candles, Johan comes up, wearing a dark tuxedo that is wrinkled from leaning on the floor earlier, his little tie is the same blue as Sofia's dress.

One by one they get a lite candle. And with Johan being lifted up by Berwald, the three light the forth candle. The flame takes and a tiny new light is created from their three smaller lights.

The light they have promised to make for each other. To keep for each other. The family they are now together.

...

Eventually they get settled into a new place together, the three of them. The place is a bigger in areas, room for their combined house hold possessions. Not that they haven't gotten ride of doubles of things they don't need. The first night they sit on boxes and drink from crystal wine glasses, Johan too.

Johan has his room and he's excited to put his own touches to the walls. His large collection of apple things all find a home in his room, with it's one big window. He looks out it and is talking to himself the last time she saw him.

She crushes the last box down and looks around at this new space. There are touches of her here and there along side Berwald and Johan.

She feels a pang of loss. For the space she doesn't have anymore. This is a new place, it's all of them. Not her. Them. It's a very surreal moment. She looks around more. She's surprised she feels any loss at all, she was completely aware that this would happen. She touches her lip and keeps looking around. She approaches a shelf with photographs and looks at them. She's already in some of them. She's there and there. She touches each photograph.

It'll take some time but she'll get used to it. It's in her nature to be in a full house, she had to force herself to be comfortable living alone in the first place.

No she's not afraid of having lost herself. Perhaps she's afraid she's finally found herself.

She's home.

* * *

**Additional Notes: **

_Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland:_

Are half brothers but their parents have passed on. They have the same father but not mothers. Norway and Iceland have the same mother and Denmark and Sweden have the same mother.

_Iceland:_

Erikur

Single, works for the Icelandic government studying migration patterns and other Puffin behavior.

_Denmark and Netherlands:_

Matthais and (un named)

They live together, Netherlands paints and their rabbit probably has some sort of cutesy name like Cottonball. Denmark doesn't want to farm, it's something he got stuck with, so he prefers to say he's a furniture designer first. The inside of their house is a painters workshop and Netherlands signs his paintings with a rabbit foot print.

_Finland and Belgium:_

Tino and Manon

They run a child care center type thing together but have no children of their own. They aren't currently wanting children but rather have their hands full with about 20 or so children at their center. They have two cats, very affectionate creatures. Belgium's cat has a mature and reasonable name and Tino, well...

Tino is a childhood friend of Berwald's not gonna lie there was that crush there but it passed with a gentleness that a pure first crush does. Manon was a college love for Tino and so eventually she was introduced to Tino's best friend. She fit right in able to joke and jab with Denmark and only lightly prod the other three. She's 'one of the guys'.

_Norway and **fem** Scotland:_

Sigurd and Iona

More than slightly inspired by the following users on tumblr:

sugfjordenemine . tumblr . com and ladyofalba . tumblr . com but I probably didn't do them justice. Sigurd is a fishermen, their house is horribly nautical theme. They don't have children right now but are trying. Iona works as a historical reenactor and sword fights in full armor.


	4. Chapter 4

It's a odd turn of events that Peter comes to live with them. She originally didn't have any plans for another boy to be in their house. She would walk with Johan home, essentially picking him up. Each day she'd notice a boy, a class or two above Johan sit alone under a tree.

Once she noticed him, she couldn't stop noticing him. The way his blonde hair was dirty and the way he would hold notes in his hands. He looked like he wanted to cry. But this was when he thought no one was looking. When someone came around he had a bright smile and would wave enthusiastictly.

She asked Johan about him, and the boy told him some odd things. Sofia approaches Peter one day before she leaves with Johan and she leaves with two boys that day.

And now they have another son in their home.

Peter doesn't talk much at first, she finds him cloths to wear and she has him take a shower. She shows him which soaps he can use and leaves him to it. She takes his old cloths and tries to figure out the last time they were washed. If she remembers correctly that stain was from a dirt clot that happened two weeks ago. His clothing was rotated but not cleaned. He stays in the bath a long time and she prepares for him something to eat.

"Is weird Peter goin' to stay with us now?"

"Maybe. I think he needs us. We need to make some calls."

He stays with them for a few more hours and falls asleep on their couch wrapped in a blanket.

It's a odd business, between child custody laws, parental rights laws, but when the father can't be found and no mother, Sofia hoped it would go easier. She sits with Peter on the couch, his head on her lap and she drags fingers through his hair and hums a tune she used to with her brother and sister.

It's not that his father hates him, no. They can't find him. When asked, Peter said he came home from class one day and there was no one there. He said he knew his dad had a problem with alcohol. Empty bottles were left for him, his only greeting that fateful day. A wall had part of a hole in it from a mans fist. Peter swears that his Papa never hit him. The authorities are trying to find him. It'll be difficult to keep Peter around until they have all their i's dotted and t's crossed. As long as the man was out there to come back...

It turns out to not be a problem. The man is not found, the resources and leads are dried up. He's still out there but Peter needed a home. For a while he was sleeping on the soft couch. A few nights she'd wake up in the bedroom and feel around and not find her husband. She'd get up and slowly make her way down the hall and see him on the couch. Peter would be sitting next to him and they'd be talking quietly. She'd let them have this time together because it did Peter good.

One day, after work she came home to a big box. The box was empty and she saw a familiar logo on the outside. She walked to Johan's room and saw Peter sleeping on his own bed. Johan was looking out the window and muttering to himself. A pillow with apples on it was in Peter's hands. She made a sound and Johan turns and he walked to her and they went into the living room.

"Peter needed a new pillow. So I gave him one of mine."

It wasn't 'weird Peter' anymore. Peter was officially moved in.

Every once in a while Peter would sit out on the couch. This time it was Sofiya that found him. She'd sit down next to him in the dark and he'd lean into her and talk to her. About things. Fairy tales, and super heroes, of his day at school, of his academic fears. About a girl in his class, with pretty chocolate hair.

There came a point when they thought they'd see the rug pulled out form under them. From some loop hole or some such thing. That someone would knock on the door and take him away. People came and interviewed him, looked at the house and the neighbors. They couldn't tell them how things looked, but they would get back to them.

She would be doing laundry or the dishes, humming to herself and she'd hear a smaller voice hum with her.

Sometimes she'd even catch him smiling. She liked that.

...

It was right around the time the adoption papers where finalized that they found the puppy. On a walk back from school. Peter heard the whimpering noises from the ally first and Johan soon after. She followed them into the dark place, worried but knowing she had to get her boys. In a corner, dirty, wet and making noises was a fluff ball of a puppy. She heard them coming and coward in the corner more. But once the boys made safe sounds she uncurled a bit and licked outstretched fingers.

Sofiya didn't need to know what the boys wanted to say, because she was thinking it herself.

Peter almost instantly attached to the small creature and the two soon became attached to the hip and Johan oddly enough started to follow Sofiya around. It was odd for him, normally he prided himself on his independence. Sofiya had been waiting for the jealousy to start. Johan had been used to having his father and Sofiya's attention all to himself. When Peter came, she expected some sort of jealousy but it was mild, very benign. Now with yet another thing to share attention with, it seemed like it finally hit him. That's what she was guessing anyway.

She made sure to kiss them all good night and she let Johan follow along around her like a baby duck.

He seemed upset by something, he was getting older and she wanted him to keep talking to her.

"Johan."

"Vad?"

She stops a moment and looks at him across the table, he was thirteen now.

"Is there, something you wanted to talk to me about?"

He's quiet. He breaks eye contact and mumbles something. There is a bang and the sound of four paws and two feet running indicates that Peter was getting into trouble again. Johan sighs loudly and shakes his head.

She stands up and walks over to his chair. He slouches over his folder arms.

"...!"

"Johan, please I can't-"

"Don't stop lovin' me!"

Now she needs to sit down.

"Johan, why would I stop loving you?"

"I..." he mutters in Swedish.

"No, Johan."

"You have a new son, a new puppy, a new life...I'm just..."

She doesn't say anything, unsure of where he was going with this.

"baggage."

She holds her breath. Seconds pass and she can't slow all the things down in her head that she want's to slow down.

"You...are not baggage. You are..."

She can't get a baring on the word right now. She finds the closest suitable substitute.

"You are my son. You will never be baggage. You will never be unwanted not if I have a say in things."

Johan is confused, angry, sad, excited...he cycles through these feelings a few time before he settles on disbelief.

He looks at her, closely. Like he did all that time ago, when they first met. His eyes take her in, for the first time.

His mouth twitches.

"M..."

"M-M..."

Silence.

"Mamma."

He tears up and she jumps to him and she holds him in her arms.

She's in shock for a moment. He said Mom but she's confused.

He hugs her.

"Mamma."

She rubs his back.

He was calling her Mom.

...

Their life wasn't always full of moments that were big emotional things.

It was full of small moments. Like flowers from the three of them. A small dog hiding in her shoe in the morning.

Date nights where she got to be with her husband. And they slowly danced around the room to silence.

When she'd get to lay her head on his chest and listen to him breath at night.

The way his hand fit around hers. She had moments like this and she loved each of them.

Her sister was expecting a second child and her brother had recently been moved to a location with more connectivity to the rest of the world. She was now able to talk to him two or three times a week.

It was a time of good news and Sofia thought her life was good.

* * *

**Additional notes:**

_Johan:_

It might be hard to tell, but years have passed in this story so far. Johan was nine or ten at the start of this and now around thirteen or fourteen. Not all children from a previous relationship feel like they are baggage, but it was something that I think he'd experience, a flair up of a long hidden fear. The long version of his fear is this: he is a reminder of a bad experience in his fathers life, his father finds himself a new girl friend, she's nice so he can't hate her but she changes things. Suddenly things are new. He gets used to her, loves her and then she bring in another boy, one older but newer to them. Suddenly his old fear is coming back and he has to deal with it. He loves his birth mother, but he realizes that the idea of being casted aside by this new woman frightens him, he realizes he loved her like a mother. Didn't want to loose her. What he doesn't know is that Sofiya would never see him as anything other than her son at this point.

_Sealand:_

Peter

I haven't the foggiest idea how this kind of situation would be played out in real life. An abandoned minor with no adult family to come to. These policies would change country to country as well. Peter is still open enough to start the healing process but so many kids like him, in real life, aren't and it's a horrible thing when abused or neglected children can't get the help they need. It's a very serious thing. Also on that note, so it alcoholism. Should anyone be reading this and think I take these things lightly, I don't. If you think someone is addicted to alcohol please try to find the right help for them or yourself. And if you think a child is being neglected or abused please find them help.


	5. Chapter 5

Her grandfather passed away in November. She gets the call through one of the people at the facility that was taking care of him. They needed to go back and arrange for him, she has never heard such a final sounding click of a phone. It was heavier then the weight on her chest. She sits at the table with the cordless phone still by her ear when they find her.

Johan shakes her arm lightly and the phones falls out. And she doesn't blink. Her mind has gone blank. Long arms wrap around her and she realizes it's Berwald. He's talking to her and trying to get her to say something. She blinks a few times coming back to earth. She sees her sons looking at her, very worried.

She thought she'd be an adult by now. But the fact of the matter is, when you love a parent, you are always a child. The empty hole in her heart gave proof. It had been a old, old hole, it had been filled perfectly and other love had filled around it. She felt very odd.

Cold.

She seeks out their warmth whenever she can, hugging and holding her sons and husband whenever she can. She wears layers and her boss asks if everything is okay. She takes leave for the trip back to Ukraine and admits her situation.

Natalia stopped over and they both left for Ukraine. This was something they had to do alone, the three of them, her, Natalia and Ivan. They were the only ones that could say a proper good bye to the man and finish his arrangements. Natalia held her hand on the plane ride down and in the air port Ivan met them.

She didn't cry until she saw her brother.

But when she did, they all did.

They drove by the old farm and it seemed so small to them now. It would be easy to picture themselves walking in the house, even though it had an addition, new paint and roof. They don't stop in to see the new owners and only regret it a little. They agreed, that it would do more harm then good. Places with lots of memories have that effect on people once they leave, it hurts too much to go back.

It's easier enough to organize everything. Calls are made from the hotel room. Personal effects collected and the service arranged quickly and proficiently. This was their last responsibility to their grandfather and they'd do it right.

They separate at the airport. It's a long good bye. Ivan leaves for China and they watch him go and China might as well be Mars, the distance heart breakingly far.

...

When they get back, Alfred and Roger and the baby are there waiting in the apartment. It's a somber welcome home and the night is spent talking about their youth. Stories accented with shots of vodka and old songs in a language that their spouses couldn't understand.

Sofiya thought she had a good life, on all accounts she did. She knew this but some parts were bad.

This part, for example, was bad.

It wasn't good at all.

* * *

**Additional Notes:**

I feel like this is really one sided but since it is Sofiya's POV that it's hard to suddenly DIVE into another characters thoughts and such. Time moves fast and is from a single perspective. Maybe someone or someday, I will or someone else will, want to write side shots from this AU? Who knows for sure, (this is a big project for me so any side shots would be way off).

On a happier note I forgot to include the links to the rings! I google'd hard for these bad boys so:

Natalia's ring from Alfred: www . rothemcollection productcart/pc/viewPrd . asp?idproduct=3226&idcategory=271

Sofiya's ring from Berwald: eragem vintage-style-wheat-detail-old-european-cut-diamond-engagement-ring-solid-14k-white-gold . html

It's really fun to pick out rings for your favorite ships let me tell you.


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